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barcastle brand


Posted by oliver killeen on October 12, 2010 at 04:55:40:

a cara.....this weekend ...in fact today october 11th....canada celebrated.....it was thanksgiving......a time to give thanks for the bounty and blessings bestowed on this country.....the us celebrate their thanksgiving the last thursday of november......so turkey and ham .....took central spot on most dining tables .....people gorged themselves in an abundance of food ......i too enjoyed my drumstick and ham .stuffing,....with mashed potatoes....turnips with a blending of carrots....sprouts and yams.....and yes gravy.....and as i dined i began to think back of a time.....when such excess was not a problem...in fact lean tables were more in line.....perhaps a piece of beef skirting in a stew ....or a shank ...boiled with cabbage...completed the menu.....but by gosh we were thankful......the raging of ww2....had introduced rationing and everything was scarce.....meat was a luxury....the bacon factory still operated but bacon was on quota.....in 945 the war ended ....and soon the rationing would be phased out......the bacon factory began to expand.....and introduced a beef abbatoir....and poultry house......a cannery was built on the opposite side of the road......and more people were employed......we on the road got a feel for the cattle drives of the american old westas herds of cattle were driven down our road .....they arrived by train ....and truck.....some of them to feeble to walk the last few yards to their fate.....they collapsed on the road and had to be hauled away by paddy mohan......martin dolan ....was the 'trail boss"....and he and his "drovers"...would drive the walking skin and bones to the holding pens in the factory.......the beef kill was an early morning ritual.....cattle were driven into a concrete retaining shute ......where they were they got shot .....with the "humane killer".....a weapon that propelled a steel bit in to the cows head......usually one shot did the trick....but there were exceptions.....many cows bolted and alot of guys got scared shitless.......once the cow was downed he was hoisted and ....throat cut.......then the skilled hide skinners did their thig .......skillfully they peeled the hide of the cow ......just like you would take your jacket off......these hides were then stacked and cured ....later they were sold to tannerys.....the dead cow ....was then debowelled and inspected by vets......many a cow in those days was rejected as ...cow tb was rampant......those that were passed moved along the conveyor system......they were split in half .....and after stored in massive chill rooms.......a boning department was set up ......tables and tables of skilled boners......carved the meat of the quartes......i can still see the jobber....one of the best working away at his table.....with his razor sharp knife ....john joe walsh.....and many more......the bones were plucked clean......and across the street a trailer was used to store all the bones......here sea gulls as big as albatrosses feasted on what ever smidgens of meat left on the bones......this cargo of bones .....wafted the most ode foul smell ....walking past there one needed to take a ...long ....deep breath......the gut room was close to the boning room .....and here i so fondly remember .....tom lally ....jimmy madden ...donal dunne.....clening the guts.....and salting and brining them.......the lacey father and son ......manned the mighty ....cooling plants.......they produced big ice blocks.......in those days......we were worried about home refrigerators....but in the summer months.....when temperatures soared .....we would go to bill lacey and ask him for a piece of ice.....so we could keep our butter firm......
........castlebar beef was in demand .....and many a night toady roache ....would drive his truck from the factory to the north wall docks.....as this beef prospered so did the idea for a cannery embryoed.....mighty cooking and retorts were acquired and soon ....castlebar factory was in the cannery business....paddy lyons ...was a main man in this concern....girls were in teir white coats and turbins ....toiling away ...in this ......and so the canned stews were on the production line and so was a name for the products......here the trade mark and name was established......barcastle.....later they also canned strawberries.....here theresa higgins....maureen lyons....mary mcdonagh.....kathleen and eileen obrien ...kathleen mcdonagh...were familiar sites around the cannery......i remeber when i went to london in the early '50s i was pleasantly surprised to see cans of barcastle products in a shop near jubilee clock in harlesden....i picked up a can ....and with a smile and a certain pride read on the label barcastle meats....castlebar ireland.....
back to the factory compound...a little further over the poutry house /rabbits......under the eye of joe mitchell...operated .....biney gannon....martha ruanne......kathleen moran....mary cannon.....kept that section of the local industry running......many a bag full of feathers i brought from there....and many a pillow they filled....but thats all gone now......who would have ever thought that this castlebar golden goose would one day fade away.....but as the words of forrest gump....life is like a box of chocolates .....you never know what you get.....
several managers ran the factory from the days of zwannie ...danky.....dan carroll too left the flat over the factory shop.....messrs holt and brennan took over the helm.....our sausages and puddings were sold all over the country.......tom cunniffe was a familiar figure in places like ballyshannon and bundoran....in fact i remember meeting him in bundoran in raffterys or raffertys.....in bundoran one july in '53.....and that was how it was .....in the bacon factory.....when all roads led to mchale road and the castlebar bacon company......i was to have first hand experience of this plant......when in castlebar on my lost weekend....in the '60s........i was having a few pints in the green olive when .....martin dolan....and my old friend pansy cresham walked in.....martin bought me a pint....and then ....surprise...surprise......in his and only his....unique way and voice......j....ees...us ......ch....rist......do ...yo...ou....w....a.....nt a....jh...ob......com.....e to ....the fr...o..nt ga.....te inth...e mor..nin'.....ge..t a pai...r of we...llig..to.ns........i'll gi...ve you th....start....and he did........i shouldered quarters of beef.....i folded hides ....with michael flynn....i fed bones into the bone crusher under the watchful eye of pierce conway...i worked in the cold storage.....i woked hard ...and drank harder.....but martin dolan....said later...no better man....now as i reflect ....i would love to put my arms around the street ....where i lived .....and give it a hug......for it gave me a life time of memories....yes thanksgiving.......i have alot to be thankful for.....
.......i wish to deviate here...if you will indulge.......i was informed of the tragic death of donal mcellin ....and ger feeney.....mr feeney i can't recal...but certainly i remember donal fondly....both in castlebar and balla......i remeber as a boy.....younger than me.....but many many years ago.....when his father danny ran the the shop on main street.....my father used to supply bacon and sausages to lavelles.......young donal would often run up the archway where our van was parked.......and eddy walsh would fetch him back.....later i met him in balla.....this is indeed a severe loss and tragedy.....for the town and community....condolences to both families.......
....instead of my usual closure......
.......is feidir iad a sheabhu Dia i mbosa a lambha

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